As an optical switch for selectively switching the connection between a plurality of aligned optical fibers and a master fiber, one is known that is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. Hei-6-208045. In the conventional optical switch, a plurality of boards where a plurality of groove are formed so as to be aligned are laminated with a space therebetween. In the grooves of each board, optical fibers are inserted partway and secured. On this side of the lamination of the boards, one master optical fiber is provided so that its movement in the X direction in which the grooves of each board are aligned, in the Z direction in which the boards are laminated and in the Y direction along the length of the grooves may be controlled by conveying means. By controlling the movement of one master fiber, the master fiber is inserted in a target groove of a board to thereby switch the connection of the optical fibers by use of the optical fiber to be connected to the master fiber and the groove.
However, in the conventional optical switch, since switch switching of the master fiber is performed by controlling the movement in the three axial directions, i.e. in the X direction, in the Y direction and in the Z direction by the conveying means, the control structure of the conveying means is complicated, so that the cost increases.
In addition, since the movement in the three-axial directions is necessarily controlled every time the switching of the connection is performed and the switching of the optical fibers is performed by moving one master fiber, for example, from the position of an optical fiber of the uppermost board to the position of an optical fiber of the lowermost board as described above, the movement distance of the master fiber is long, so that the time necessary for the connection switching (switch switching) of the optical fibers increases. As a result, the switching efficiency cannot be improved.
The present invention is intended for solving the above-mentioned themes and an object thereof is to provide an optical switch wherein the structure for controlling the movement of the master fiber is simplified and the efficiency of the optical fiber switching connection is greatly improved.